In a sign of Australia’s worsening housing shortage, DIY bedrooms and cabins are now being sold through the country’s largest hardware retailer.
Bunnings chief operating officer Ryan Baker said the company had expanded its range of outdoor DIY-friendly structures in response to rising demand, recently adding Elsewhere Pod outdoor rooms to its product line.
The manufacturer states that buyers can assemble the lockable and waterproof pods themselves within two days, and without requiring a building permit.
The units are delivered as flat packs with pre-fabricated panels and include ceiling insulation and eaves. Prices range from $26,100 for a 2.7m by 2.4m pod to $42,000 for a 4m by 2.4m unit.
“They provide an affordable way for customers to add functional space to their homes,” Baker said.
Despite this, the pods include only basic structural features such as walls and a ceiling. Utilities including plumbing and electrical connections must be arranged and funded separately by purchasers.
Another range of DIY cabins, produced by Stilla Timber and also sold through Bunnings, has identified Perth as a growing market for pre-fabricated, self-assembled cabins.
Stilla Timber spokesman Chester Thrush said the Brisbane-based company currently ships about two units to Perth each week, noting that most Western Australian customers use the cabins as guest accommodation or home offices.
He said the company had observed a trend of families converting indoor offices into bedrooms, while using cedar-wood garden cabins as external workspaces.
Prices for Stilla Timber cabins range from $6,000 for a 5sqm standard studio to $21,600 for a 20sqm designer studio, which includes roof insulation only and does not include flooring.
“I don’t know a builder who can do a renovation for less than $150,000, so even though we send from Brisbane to Perth, this is still an affordable option,” he said.
Thrush said building permits were generally required in Western Australia, but planning approval was not needed for granny flats that complied with relevant building codes.
The DIY cabins and pods join converted shipping containers as an alternative to traditional housing construction.
Images: Bunnings
